A Formidable Artist
by flying metal child
Summary: Wolfram paints another portrait of Yuri, except this one is a little different. Oneshot.


AN: This is my second KKM fic! Please enjoy!

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"A Formidable Artist"

by flying metal child

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Being engaged to a boy was perhaps the worst thing that could happen to a boy who swore up and down that he was completely straight.

Added to that was the fact that said fiancée was temperamental and extremely jealous.

Then there were those days when he wanted to inflict pain upon you by painting your portrait using paints that, though incredibly bright and vivid, were so foul smelling as to cause nausea.

Yuri grimaced the instant he agreed to sit for another one of Wolfram's canvases. The abstract, hard angled and wildly colored monstrosities did not suit Yuri's taste. He was no art expert, but the paintings of Shinou and the Daikenjya in the main hall of the castle were to his preference. Yuri even liked his own state portrait painted over two years ago to commemorate his status as the Maou.

It was very official looking and it made Yuri look very important (which he was).

_But it is rigid and lacks subtly and emotion_.

So said Wolfram.

"Shouldn't I be dressed in something more...fancy?" In his usual black uniform, Yuri sat in a chair before Wolfram's large canvas. The setting for Wolfram's "official" portrait was too formal.

"Not yet." Wolfram picked up a thick pencil and said that he would only do the sketch today.

"Ah...you've never sketched before a painting."

"For this one I am." Yuri nodded his head and sighed in relief. Well, at least it was one day he wouldn't have to smell the paint.

"Just relax," Wolfram said. "This might take a while."

An hour passed before Wolfram stood back from the canvas to judge his own work. Another half hour went by as he made necessary corrections. Finally he smiled and said that they were done for the day.

Yuri stood and asked if he could see what he had drawn.

"No! Not until it's completely finished." Wolfram called over some maids to cover the more than life-sized canvas with a drop cloth.

"That's not fair. Besides, I have an idea of what it's going to look like." Yuri grinned nervously when Wolfram pointed the tip of his pencil at Yuri's face.

"No peeking!"

No peeking indeed. As the days passed and the sessions continued, Yuri became more and more curious about the painting. Wolfram was insanely secretive about keeping the progress of the work a secret; one day it was "It's almost finished" only to be changed to "It needs another week."

Yuri had never known Wolfram to paint in such a way. Usually it took a few days to rub out canvases twice the size of the one he was working with now.

"The paint has to dry properly, Yuri," Wolfram reminded.

"Since when do you let paint dry?"

"Since now! Now sit still. This will be the last day. I just need you here to capture the highlights on your face."

When Wolfram had begun the painting proper, Yuri was ordered (by Wolfram of course) to wear his formal clothes and stand in front of a dark red backdrop. His only accoutrement was Morgif, who wailed and sang whenever he pleased. They always painted at four in the afternoon so that the light coming through the window would be consistent. Wolfram was sure to capture the light in some bizarre way.

Yuri imagined giant yellow and orange streaks of sun rays.

The Maou was drawn from his thoughts when he heard Wolfram sigh contentedly.

"It's done." He pulled off his smock and stood back to regard his work.

"Um...can I see?" Yuri hadn't moved from his spot for fear that Wolfram would yell at him.

Wolfram looked from the painting to Yuri several times, a nervous expression gracing his face.

He finally nodded and urged Yuri to come see his month long labor of love.

"Oh...my God. Wolfram...I-I..."

"You don't like it?"

"No. I didn't know you could paint like this. It's beautiful."

Yuri turned to the artist and smiled brightly. "It's like something from one of my history books. Like the Renaissance--"

"Ren...a what?"

Yuri chuckled, "Never mind...it's just...Wow!" Yuri stood in front of the portrait for several minutes before Wolfram reminded him that they would be late for dinner.

"You really like it?" Wolfram asked as they walked down the hall to the dinning room.

"I do. If you can paint that well, then why don't you paint everything like that?"

"It's boring to paint the same way over and over. Part of my educational upbringing was artistic anatomy. It sort of went with healing, knowing where all the muscles and bones are. Anyway, I knew you wanted a new portrait. I think this one captures your real emotions, not just your anatomy." Yuri nodded and threw an arm around his friend's shoulder. Wolfram blushed furiously when Yuri turned to him for a hug.

"I think we'll have to get a new portrait of you to hang next to mine," Yuri said with a wide grin.

"Why?"

"You're my fiancée. People will expect my picture to have a mate, right?" Though Yuri said it jokingly, Wolfram nodded heartily.

"We could have Gwendal paint it."

"No way! Are you serious--"

They continued to the dining hall, their chatter turning to echoes in the long open halls.

And somewhere, in one of the most auspicious halls, Shinou and Daikenjya smiled, their beautiful faces held high forever in living paint and captured by the hand of some formidable artist.

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end.


End file.
